Tove Bjørgaas leaves NRK after 30 years
Longtime NRK reporter Tove Bjørgaas is leaving the national broadcaster after a career spanning three decades. The 54-year-old confirmed in an interview with VG that she has accepted a severance package and will transition to freelance work starting Thursday. Bjørgaas has been a fixture in the broadcaster’s foreign news department since 2003, with a primary focus on international economics and American politics. She served three separate stints as the NRK correspondent in Washington, D.C., totaling 14 years on assignment in the United States.
“It feels strange after 25 years, but it also feels right,” Bjørgaas told VG.
A shift in career focus
The departure comes as NRK undergoes a significant downsizing process. The broadcaster aims to cut between 300 and 400 positions by 2030, and in late October, NRK confirmed that 106 employees had accepted severance packages, according to NRK.
For Bjørgaas, the transition marks a move toward greater professional autonomy. While she is not yet certain of her next specific role, she expressed a desire to have a more distinct voice in public discourse. She told VG that the constraints of journalistic neutrality have become increasingly challenging for her to balance during a volatile period in global history.
“When you have worked somewhere for so long, you ask yourself who you are when you are not an NRK reporter,” Bjørgaas said. She plans to continue her work as an independent contractor, represented by the agency Fenomen, and is open to new podcast and television projects.
Reflecting on a legacy in Washington
Bjørgaas, who originally hails from Svolvær, first joined NRK in 1996. Her reporting career is perhaps best defined by her coverage of American politics, including the 2008 presidential election, which she cited to VG as her most memorable moment at the network. “I remember thinking that it couldn’t get more exciting than this.”
Editorial manager praises Bjørgaas following final appearance
Ingrid Indseth, editorial manager for Forklaring at NRK News, praised Bjørgaas for her ability to make complex political developments accessible to the audience.
“Tove Bjørgaas has for many years made viewers, readers, and listeners wiser about what is happening in the world, and especially in the USA,” Indseth stated to NRK.
Bjørgaas’s final appearance for the network occurred during the coverage of the U.S. midterm elections on the night of November 4, 2026. While she looks forward to managing her own schedule, she acknowledged that she will miss the daily collaboration with colleagues and the atmosphere of live broadcasting.
Tove Bjørgaas details her departure and freelance plans
Why is Tove Bjørgaas leaving NRK now? Bjørgaas accepted a severance package offered as part of NRK’s broader plan to reduce its workforce by 300 to 400 positions by 2030. What will Bjørgaas do after leaving the broadcaster? She plans to work as an independent freelancer, represented by the agency Fenomen. She is open to taking on speaking engagements, podcasting, and new television projects, while continuing to write non-fiction books.
How long was she with the network? Bjørgaas was associated with NRK for 30 years, with her first role beginning in 1996. She became a permanent fixture in the foreign news department in 2003 and spent a combined total of 14 years reporting from the United States.